


More Than I Knew Then

by starandrea



Series: Dreams [5]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Post-Movie(s), Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 01:10:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11544309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starandrea/pseuds/starandrea
Summary: Billy and Zack help Trini fix her wall.  Everyone realizes, once and for all, that Jason and Billy are not dating, which they immediately try to change.  Kim solidifies her role as bearer of snacks by bringing them ice cream, and they all compare psychic powers.





	More Than I Knew Then

“Wow,” Kim said.  “What happened to your room?”

She didn't stop moving to stare, which meant the rest of them could follow her and Trini into the room at the end of the hall.  It was bright and cool, windows open with a workbench in the middle.  The furniture looked like it had been used by a Power Ranger, and there was a body-sized dent in the wall.

“What part of ‘Rita came to my house’ wasn’t clear?” Trini replied, dropping her backpack in the corner.  She kicked a tarp over her sleeping bag and turned back to face them.  “You can put your stuff anywhere.  We've been using paint cans to sit on.”

“This is bad, Crazy Girl.”  Zack was inspecting the dented wall.  “Is the whole house like this?”

“Are you using joint compound on broken drywall?” Billy blurted out.  “I mean, obviously you are, but it’ll be more stable if you replace the drywall first.”

“I'm not an electrician,” Trini said.  “I can't go cutting into the wall without knowing what's back there.”

“But you have new drywall,” Zack said, knocking on the piece propped up behind the workbench.  “You waiting for someone who knows what they're doing?”

“I'm waiting for my parents to leave me alone long enough to use power tools without them wanting to know what happened,” Trini said.  “They already think I'm on drugs; this isn't gonna help.”

“Your parents haven't seen this?” Jason asked.

“They're into privacy and personal responsibility,” Trini said with a shrug.  “I told them I was repainting.”

“Why didn't Rita threaten our families?” Billy asked, pulling one of the loose pieces of drywall free.  The wiring at the end of the house was probably mostly for Trini’s outlets and the light over her desk.  “Do you have joint tape?  Oh, and a drill?  That's probably the only power tool you'll need.”

“Maybe Power Rangers didn't have families 65 million years ago,” Kim said.  “Zordon doesn't talk about anyone except his team.”

“Zordon doesn't talk to us about anything,” Jason said, but he didn't sound as angry as he sometimes did.

“She's got furring,” Zack said.  “Hey, Crazy Girl, is this for the wall?”

Billy looked over to see Zack holding up a wood strip while Trini nodded.  “Yeah, once it's all cut.  I didn't want to take a knife to anything before I, uh.  Got some instruction.”

“You want some?” Zack offered.  “It looks like Billy’s gonna take the wall apart for us, and I know how to put it back together.  If you want.”

“Sure,” she said.  “I'm not turning down free labor.”

Billy pulled another piece of the wall free while Kim said, “So it's just in here?  She seriously snuck into your room, threw you around, and snuck out again?”

“Without anyone else noticing?” Jason added.

“My parents sleep on the other side of the house,” Trini said.  “With the twins.  They think I need my space.”

“My mom says that,” Billy offered, tracing the second stud for wiring.  “Since my dad died.  He used to tell her that, and now he can't anymore, so she probably feels like she has to say it for him.”

“Hey, are you gonna punch the rest of that out or what?” Zack asked.  “Cause I'm not saying you can't, but it'll be easier to fit a new piece if it has straight edges.”

“Do you have a knife?” Billy asked.

Zack held up a utility knife, and Billy stuck his head into the wall to double check the studs.  “Okay,” he said.  “There’s no wiring at the top here, or along this side, but we should check the bottom before we go all the way down.”

Zack stepped in and scored the outside, tracing a straight line over the damage and then down the left side.  “You want to take a piece out here?” he asked, running his hand over the right side.  “Cut right through the middle so you can see down to the floor?”

“Yeah, that’d be good,” Billy agreed.  “I can’t tell which direction the wiring for that outlet comes from, and we should definitely know that before we go any lower.”

“Are you going to paint the walls yellow?” Kim asked.  She sounded like she was smiling.

“It’s a light color,” Trini said.  “Besides, I have to change something or my parents will start looking for secret compartments.”

“It’s a nice color,” Kim said.  “It’ll look good on the walls.”

“Yeah, well.”  There was the sound of a paint can handle being flipped over.  “If evil Rangers would stop busting my stuff, I wouldn’t have to change it at all.”

“Are you going to--” Billy began, then stopped as Zack finished scoring and shoved the utility knife all the way through the outline he’d created.  “Okay.  That’ll work too.”

“Speaking of evil Rangers,” Jason said.

“Yeah,” Kim said.  “So, Tommy said she wasn’t a Ranger.  Was she lying?  Can she have a Power Coin and not be a Ranger?  And what are the chances that’s actually Rita’s coin she’s carrying around?”

“You told her you weren’t a Ranger,” Jason said.

“I didn’t, actually,” Kim said.  “I just said ‘I wish’ and ‘wouldn’t that be great.’”

“Okay, vote,” Zack said over his shoulder.  “Am I the only one who thinks Tommy’s a guy?”

“Yes,” Kim said.

“No,” Trini said.  “He reads as a guy.”

“What do you think, Billy?”  Zack turned the knife sideways and pushed into the top of the drywall.  The damage underneath started to collapse inward and he put a hand on the far edge to steady it.  “Guy or girl?”

“Observable and distinguishing physical characteristics are predominantly female,” Billy said.  “But since physical characteristics don’t determine a person’s gender identity, the only reliable way to establish a preferred set of pronouns is by asking.”

“What about you?” Kim asked, and Billy glanced over to see her looking at Jason.  “Got a guess?”

“I’m with Billy,” Jason said, shaking his head.  “We should probably ask.”

“Of course you are,” Zack said.  “So how long have you guys been together?  And why didn’t you tell us?”

Billy looked at him in surprise.  Jason hadn’t yet agreed where the rest of the team could hear, but Billy thought he’d made it clear they weren’t dating.  On the other hand, he hadn't been sure Kim spoke for Jason.  Maybe they weren't sure he did either.

“We didn’t tell you because we’re not together,” Jason said.

That should be clear enough, Billy thought.  He took the piece of drywall Zack handed him, the broken piece from the corner, and moved back to give him more room.  It put him right next to the patch Trini had already made: smooth and discernible only by color.

“Oh, right,” Kim said.  “So what was last night?  Was that like, your first date?”

“That’s sweet,” Trini added.  “Don’t hurt each other.  Jason.”

“Oh, you’re gonna do the shovel talk for Billy?” Kim asked.  “That’s cool; I’ll do Jason.  Billy, be nice to Jason.  He unfriended Ty for me.”

“I will,” Billy said, because of course he would.  “I mean, unless it’s by accident.  Sometimes I say things that aren’t very nice without realizing it.  But I try not to.”

“All we can ask,” Kim agreed.

“Guys,” Jason.  “We’re not dating.”

“That’s not what Billy says,” Trini replied.  “I literally just told you not to hurt him.  Were you listening?”

“I didn’t not say we’re not dating,” Billy protested.  Then he thought about it and added, “Okay, I guess I did--not--but we aren’t.  Dating.  Jason and I, we’re not dating.”

“Are you serious?” Zack asked.  “Because you definitely act like you are.  Is that far enough down for you to see?” he asked Billy.

Billy moved back in when Zack pulled the top piece of drywall out, shining his flashlight along the inside of the studs.  “Yeah, there it is,” he said.  “The wiring for the box runs about this high right through the middle of the studs--do you have a pencil?”

“We act like we’re friends,” Jason was saying.  “That’s all.”

“Okay, whatever,” Trini said, coming over to hand Billy a pencil.  “You don’t have to be defensive about it.”

“Thanks,” Billy said, taking the pencil and peering into the wall again.  “It might be because of me.  You know, because of how I act around people.  It probably makes my interaction with Jason look like, well, not a normal friendship.  I get that a lot.  Which I don’t really understand, because I copy what other people do exactly, but somehow I guess it doesn’t look right when I do it.”

“That’s where the electrical is?” Zack asked, when he marked off a line on the outside of the wall.  It ran far enough below the damage that they should be able to avoid it entirely.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Billy said.

“Yeah,” Kim said at the same time.  “It’s not how you act, Billy.  Trust me on this.”

“It’s really not,” Trini agreed.

“Well, it could be,” Billy said.  “Girls often incorrectly assume I’m romantically interested in them, and I’ve been warned off by a couple of boys.  It doesn’t seem to happen to other people that often, so if I’m the common factor, then it wouldn’t be surprising that something about the way I am with Jason made you think the same thing.”

“Billy,” Jason said.  “It’s not you, okay?”  He paused, but before Billy could correct him he added, “They’re saying it’s me.  I act like we’re dating.”

“Oh.”  Billy considered that, and it was mostly a relief.  He didn’t know how to change the way he acted, but Jason didn't need to.  “Well, that’s fine.  I mean, it's fine, right?  I’m fine with it.  Except you probably don’t want other people to think that, because then you won't be able to date them.  If you want to.”

“Yeah,” Jason said.  He was smiling, but he sounded… angry.  Or not angry, but not happy.  “It’s fine.  I’m not planning to date anyone else.”

No one else was saying anything, which made sense, since this was a misunderstanding that involved all of them.  They should all be listening.  And they were.  Maybe now they would stop teasing Jason about how he treated Billy.

“So, what if I go right here?” Zack asked at last, tracing his knife a foot above the line Billy had drawn.  “That enough of a margin?”

“That’s plenty,” Billy said.  “Trini, do you have enough material for a space that big?”

“Uh, sure,” Trini said.  “I guess.  I got enough to cover the whole replacement panel, so.  If the space is smaller than that.”

“It will be,” Zack said.  “Jason, you want to go find a broom or something?  Like a dustpan?  Trini, you have something to clean this up, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, straightening up.  “Come on,” she added, catching Jason’s eye on her way past.  “I’ll show you.”

Jason didn't look at any of them as he followed, and he didn't protest, which seemed odd.  If Trini knew where the broom was, why did Jason need to go with her?  Billy wondered if she was just trying to get him out if the room so she could talk to him privately about something.

“So, Billy,” Kim said.  “It seems like Jason really likes you.”

“Yeah,” Billy agreed.  “Do you want me to mark these pieces, or should I wait until you have the replacement panel cut?”

“No, now’s cool,” Zack said.  “But don't cut it yet, just in case.”

“Zack,” Kim said.  “Help me.”

“What do you want me to say?” Zack countered.  “I thought they were already together!”

“Well, they're not,” Kim said.  “Apparently.”

“Who?” Billy asked, looking from one of them to the other.  If they were still talking about him and Jason, it seemed like Jason should be present.

Kim sighed.  “Look, Billy.  Do you know how Jason looks at you?  Like maybe he wants to be more than just your friend?”

“Oh, no,” Billy said.  “No, no.  Do you still think we're dating?  Because I don't know how to be any more clear than saying we're not.”

“Yeah, I think we got that,” Kim said.

“That's why Jason’s eating ‘she dumped me’ ice cream with Trini right now,” Zack added.

“What?” Billy asked, frowning.  “I don't even know what that means.”

“It means Jason is sad you won't go out with him,” Zack said.  “There,” he added, looking at Kim.  “Are you happy?”

“But he hasn't asked me out,” Billy said.  “How does he know if I would or not?  Go out with him, I mean.  Because I would.  I just don't think it would work out very well; dates with me usually don't.  Which I don't think is all my fault, really, but I am half of the people involved.”

“Wait,” Kim said.  “You'd go out with Jason if he asked?”

“Uh, yes,” Billy said.  “Isn't that what we were talking about?”

“Oh, for--”  Kim put her hands on her hips.  “I don't believe this.”

Billy looked at Zack, who was grinning.  “You were the one who said to be direct,” Zack said.  “She was,” he added, apparently talking to Billy now.  “She said, if you want him to do something, ask.  I don’t know why we didn’t just ask.”

“You mean me?” Billy said.  “I don’t know either.  Why wouldn't you ask me if you wanted me to do something?”

Kim sighed again, but at least she was smiling this time.  “I'm gonna go find Jason and Trini,” she said.  “Try to--”  She waved at the wall between them.  “Do something useful here.”

“Try to be more direct,” Zack called after her as she left.  “Not all of us understand your subtle social conventions!”

Billy frowned at him.  “Are you making fun of me?”

“Nah,” Zack said easily.  “I'm making fun of her.”

“Is that what she's upset about?” Billy asked.  “Because it seems like she's upset about something.”

“If it upset her, I wouldn't do it,” Zack promised.  “I think she just, uh, feels bad about Jason.”

“Because he's--”  Sad, Billy almost said, but the suggested cause still seemed implausible.  Jason had been as clear as he had that they weren't dating, and why would he want to change that?  Dating Billy wouldn’t improve his social standing, and there wasn’t anything Billy could do for him that he wouldn’t already do because they were friends.

“No, that doesn't make any sense,” he said aloud.  “Why does she feel bad about Jason?”

“Because it seems like he wants to go out with you,” Zack said.  “But he figured you'd say no, so he didn't ask.  Which is pretty sad, if you think about it.”

It was a little bit sad, in the way that believing things that were untrue was a waste of time and energy.  But it was also positive, since Jason had apparently been so obvious about his belief that the rest of the team was trying to correct it for him.  That must be a good thing, overall.

“So, for the record?” Billy said.  “That's what I guessed was happening, but it seemed so unlikely that I thought I should check.”

Zack grinned at him the same way he’d grinned at Kim when she left.  “You can check anytime, man.  Don’t count on us knowing what’s going on, but if we do?  We’ll tell you.”

“Thank you,” Billy said.  “I appreciate that.  And I will too.  I’ll tell you if I know what’s going on.”

“Means a lot more coming from you,” Zack told him, turning back to the wall.  “Thanks.”

“Why does it mean more coming from me?” Billy asked, watching him stab the knife back into the drywall.  When it came to strength, Zack had precision control that the rest of them were still working on.  It occurred to Billy to wonder if that extended to his telekinesis, but he hadn’t had a chance to ask yet.

“Because you know more than we do,” Zack said.  “What do we know, really?  How to swear, and read between the lines?  And ask each other out, maybe, but I guess Jason’s proving me wrong on that one.  You know stuff like where the Zeo crystal is and how to find spaceships.  That’s awesome.”

“Yes, but I could teach you that,” Billy said.  He picked up one of the longer wood strips and waited for Zack to turn the corner he’d marked on the wall.  “I don’t think you can teach me how to do your things.”

“Flattering as that is,” Zack said, “let’s be real.  You can’t teach me to be you any more than I can teach you to be me.  But that’s cool, right?  World’s already got one of each of us; it doesn’t need two.”

“It’s better to have a range of skills instead of having everyone having the same one,” Billy repeated.  It was exactly what he'd told Jason about their extra sensory powers.

“Sure,” Zack said.  “We cover a lot more ground if we do what we do, instead of trying to do what someone else does.”

Billy nodded.  Most groups were more efficient when they pooled their resources rather than duplicating their efforts.  It didn’t make it any less frustrating that the whole team had known Jason wanted to ask him out except him, but at least they’d told him.  They could have sighed and whispered about it for weeks, but they didn’t.  

Zack was right.  There was no reason for him to futilely wish for skills he didn’t have when people who did have those skills were willing to share.

Once Zack’s knife was working along the bottom of the damaged drywall, Billy pressed the furring strip vertically against the sawn-through line.  He lined it up just above the top of the rectangular space and marked it off below where it met the bottom.  With the wood and some joint tape, they should be able to stabilize the new piece at least as well as the old.

“Okay,” Kim said, when she returned a few minutes later.  “It turns out Trini really does have ice cream, and her dad felt sorry for us, so now we have all of it.”

“And bowls,” Trini said from right behind her.  “We should eat it before my brothers get home.  Who’s helping?”

“What kind of ice cream is it?” Billy asked, even as Kim set the carton down on the workbench.  They'd cleared most of it so Zack could score the new drywall on a flat surface, but Billy pulled the extra material out of the way and rescued the pencil before it could get bumped out of position.

“Vanilla,” Trini answered anyway.  Jason was carefully taking the bowls away from her, which Billy thought was very brave.  “We’re not adventurous, sorry.”

“Oh, vanilla is my favorite,” Billy assured her.  “I’d be happy to help you with this important task.”

“Good,” Kim said, opening the carton and holding out her hand to Jason, who now had both the dishes and the silverware.  “Zack?”

“Yeah,” he said.  He pulled his knife out of the new drywall and flipped the safety when he straightened up.  “Ice cream waits for no wall; I know.  Scoop me some of whatever you’ve got.”

“Wow,” Trini said, studying the hole in wall and the mess they'd made of the floor below.  “This looks so much worse than it did before.”

“Gotta break it to fix it,” Zack said.

“We’ll put it back together,” Billy promised. 

“Today?” Trini asked.

“Sure,” Zack said.  “We just have to finish cutting the new piece and screw it in; it's easy from there.”

“But the seams should dry overnight,” Billy said.  “Before you paint them.  Or apply more compound and then paint them, depending on how smooth you want it to be.  So no, not today.”

“Nice,” Trini said.  “I wasn’t gonna paint today anyway.  Just hoping to have a solid wall someday, is all.”

“People who work get their ice cream first,” Kim said, pushing a bowl toward Billy and handing another one to Zack.  “Trin, how much do you want?  Two scoops or one?”

“As much as you’ve got,” Trini said.  “We haven't had lunch.”

“Are you kidding?” Kim said.  “This is lunch.  Jason?”

“Uh, two is good,” he said.  “Thanks.”

“Sure,” she said.  “Always glad to have power over the ice cream.”

They all got exactly the same amount, Billy noted.  And Kim followed Trini’s instructions, emptying the carton without having to redistribute any ice cream at the end.  That indicated either experience at dividing up semi-solid objects, or above-average visual spatial processing ability.

“Thanks,” Trini said, joining them at the workbench last, after Kim had already crushed the empty carton and dropped it on the plastic under the table.  “All of you.  For, you know.  Coming over.”

“That's what we do,” Zack said.

“Thanks for inviting us,” Kim added.

Billy nodded, waving with his ice cream spoon while he swallowed.

“Your dad doesn't think you're doing drugs,” Jason said.

Billy looked at him.  So did everyone else gathered around the bench.  

“What?” Trini said.

“I’m not doing it on purpose,” Jason said.  “But I’m pretty sure I know what people are thinking.  At least some of the time, anyway.  And your dad’s just happy you have friends over today.”

“Yeah,” Trini scoffed, stabbing her spoon into her ice cream.  Billy took a step back from the table.  “Especially since I’m an addict.”

“I don’t think so,” Jason said.  “He’s proud of you, you know.  Keeping your head up in a new place.  Keeping up with your classes.  Making new friends.”

Trini dropped her spoon with a clatter and put her hands on the workbench.  “Now I know you’re making that up,” she said.  “What am I thinking right now?”

Billy looked from her to Jason, but they just kept staring at each other.  “Are you sure you want me to tell them?” Jason asked.

Trini looked away first, folding her arms.  “No,” she muttered.

“Okay,” Kim said after a moment.  “So you can really read minds, huh?”

“Maybe,” Jason said.  “It kind of looks that way.”

“What number am I thinking of?” Zack wanted to know.

Jason let out his breath in a laugh, looking down, and Billy looked at Zack to see him grinning.  “That’s not a test,” Kim said.  “We all know what number you’re thinking of.”

Billy leaned a little toward Trini and asked, “What number is he thinking of?”

“Sixty-nine,” she replied.

“Guess my number instead,” Kim said.

“Eighteen,” Jason said.  The way she raised her eyebrows made Billy think he’d gotten it right, but Jason didn’t wait for her to nod.  He just looked back at Trini and added, “Forty-two.”

Kim looked at Trini too, and she shrugged.  “The answer to life, the universe, and everything,” she said.

“So wait,” Zack said.  “You’re actually reading our minds, right now, but you couldn’t tell Billy wanted to go out with you?  You need to get better at that.”

“No kidding,” Jason said, looking back at his ice cream.  “I think I mentioned that.”

“He can’t read my mind,” Billy said.  “We tried.  We think it might be my power.  You know, to keep people from reading my mind.”

“I thought your power was knowing things,” Trini said.  “Which sounds kind of ironic, now.”

“I don’t think knowing things is a power,” Zack said.

“Oh yeah?” Kim said.  “And what do you do, Mr. Adrenaline?”

Zack grinned at her.  “So glad you asked!”  He held out his hand and the knife sitting on the new drywall jumped into it.

“I knew it!” Billy exclaimed.  “You’re telekinetic!”

“If that means I can move things without touching them,” Zack said.  “Sure.”  He tossed the knife in the air, blade still retracted and the safety in place, and it hung there for a second before moving to the other end of the drywall and settling back down.

“Huh,” Billy said.  The drywall didn’t even vibrate under the drop.  “Jason didn’t think you’d be that good at it.”

It made Trini laugh, which was a nice change.  Zack looked at Jason, who shrugged.  “It’s true,” he agreed.  “What can I say.  Finesse isn’t really your thing.”

“I didn’t think so either,” Billy said quickly.  “I mean, I wasn’t sure how much you’d be able to practice.  Since it’s a pretty obvious ability.”

“I think you underestimate how much time I spend alone,” Zack said.  “I practice all the time.”  One of the furring strips hopped across the floor to hover at the far end of the workbench, and a shorter one followed.  They rose up and down next to each other in an alternating pattern while a third one bounced over to join in.

“Okay,” Kim said.  “That’s pretty cool.”

“How many things can you move at once?” Billy wanted to know.

“Depends how heavy they are,” Zack said.  “Which is weird, right?  Why does it matter how heavy they are if I’m not physically lifting them?  But it does; I don’t know why.  I can pick up one big thing, like a full trash can, or I can pick up lots of little things, like gravel or marbles or whatever.”

“Can you make all of them do something different?” Kim asked.  “Like that, what you’re doing with the wood?”

“Yeah, but it matters how complicated it is.”  The third strip started spinning and a fourth one flipped end over end to spin opposite and behind it.  In front, the first two pieces were still moving up and down.  

“That’s about as many different things as I can manage at the same time,” Zack said.  “If they were all moving together I could do ten of them, easy.  Probably more.”

“I definitely want that power,” Trini said.

“Right?”  Zack grinned at her.  “It’s the best.  And it makes filming myself a lot easier, I’m not gonna lie.”

“Is it harder to hold things steady than it is to make them move around?” Billy asked.  “Like hovering, that’s hard compared to flying, right?  How hard is it to keep your phone steady when you’re recording?”

“Not that hard,” Zack said.  “But I’m usually moving when I’m recording, so.  Probably not a good test.”  He pulled his phone out and held it up, and it kept going, lifting out of his hand to bob in front of him over the workbench.

It kept bobbing, even when Zack stared at it, and at the end of the bench the spinning pieces of wood stopped spinning.  Billy glanced over at them, drifting down until one end of each rested on the floor, and the hopping pieces stilled too.  All four pieces of wood were standing on their ends, not leaning on anything, but waving a little like plants in the breeze.

The phone didn’t completely still either, and finally Zack said, “Okay, it’s hard.  How did you know that?”

“Well, the inherent stability of any object depends on how balanced the forces acting on it are,” Billy said.  “You’re one of the forces acting on the object, so when you change, the stability of the object changes, and then you change again to compensate.  It’s a dynamic equilibrium.  Which is always true; the changes you have to make are just more obvious when you’re trying to keep it still.”

“Right,” Zack said.  The strips at the end of the bench gathered together in a group and glided back toward the wall, leaning up against it while Zack’s phone continued to float in front of him.  “So hovering is hard,” he added.  “I should practice more.”

“Mmm,” Kim said, swallowing another spoonful of ice cream.  “That’s cool, though.”

“It’s cool,” Jason agreed.  “Definitely better than knowing what people are thinking.”

Kim made a seesaw motion with her hand, but Zack nodded.  “Yeah, that’s true.  There are a lot of things I’d rather not know, and what people really think of me is right up there.”

“But most people don’t spend all their time thinking about us,” Billy said, surprised.  “Or anyone specifically, I mean.  Isn’t it worth knowing a few things you’d rather not in order to know the other things?”

“Spoken like a true scientist,” Trini said.  She put both hands on her bowl and lifted it slightly in his direction.  “Cheers.”

Billy caught Jason’s eye, and he shrugged.  “Not so far,” he said.

“What about you?” Kim asked, nudging Trini with her elbow.  “You said you have a power.  What is it?”

“You first,” Trini said.

Kim glanced around at the rest of them, shaking her head.  “Sorry,” she said, looking back at Trini.  “If I have one, I don’t know what it is.”

Trini gave her a look that was probably skeptical, so Billy added, “Maybe it’s a more passive power, like mine.  Or like we think mine is.  Whatever we think mine is.  It doesn’t seem like it’s very active, is what I’m saying.  Yours might not be either.”

“Yeah,” Kim said, smiling back at him.  “Maybe that’s it.”

“I see dead people,” Trini said.

“Really?” Billy asked.  “That seems useful.”

“Ha ha,” Zack said.

“You’re kidding,” Kim said.

“I wish,” Trini replied.  “I have these dreams where people who aren’t around anymore talk to me.  Sometimes I’m not asleep.  It’s creepy.”

“Like who?” Billy asked.  “Are they people you know?  Are you sure they’re dead, or--or maybe they’re just a long way away, or something.  What do they say to you?”

“Do they look weird?” Zack asked.  “I never understood why American ghosts are so ugly-looking.  What possible reason could spirits have for looking like a dead body?”

“I know them,” Trini said.  “Mostly.  They’re dead.  They don’t look weird.”

“Do they bother you?” Jason asked.

Trini rolled her eyes.  “Does seeing dead people in my busted up empty room in the middle of the night bother me?  Yeah.  It does.  It bothers me a lot, okay?”

“Okay, well, we should fix that,” Billy said.  “How can we fix that?”

“Sleepover,” Kim said.  “You mostly see them at night?”

“I can’t sleep with someone else for the rest of my life,” Trini said.

“Sure you can,” Zack said.  “The point is, will it help or not.  Because if it’ll help, we’re gonna do it.”

“I don’t know,” Trini muttered.  “They don’t haunt me or anything.  They just talk to me.  Except for Rita.”

“Wait, what?”  Kim leaned forward, putting a hand on the table next to her.  “Did you say Rita?”

“Well, shit,” Zack said at the same time.  Then he added, “Sorry.”

“Rita’s talking to you in your dreams?” Jason repeated.  “What does she say?”

“What do you think she says,” Trini retorted.  “She says Zordon’s a traitor and we’re all going to die.  The rest of the universe is coming for Earth.  She can protect us.  Stupid stuff like that.”

Billy frowned.  He looked at Jason, who was staring back at him.  “That’s not good,” Billy said.  “That’s not good; that’s very bad.  If she’s offering something, then she thinks she can affect our physical reality somehow.  That’s more dangerous than just a talking ghost.”

Jason nodded.  “Yeah.  We need to stick together.  But she’s talking to Trini; that’s the first and biggest problem.  You shouldn’t be alone at night,” he told her.

“She hasn’t killed me yet,” Trini said.

“Yeah, but that might not be because she can’t,” Billy said.  “I’m worried about our phones, Jason.  You didn’t answer yours yesterday, and neither did Kim.  Which is fine, but we should have some sort of emergency signal that everyone knows not to ignore.”

“Service at the park is garbage,” Zack said.  “Just so you know.”

Billy pointed at him.  “Right, and what if our phones don’t work, or the network jams, like it did on Thursday?  We need something better.”

“I’m open to suggestions,” Jason said.

Billy looked around at everyone's wrists.  They all wore bracelets, except for Jason.  “Would you wear something?” he asked.  “Like a smart watch?  Or some kind of bracelet tracker, or communicator--I could program something so it could piggyback any available signal, including wifi.”

“I’m not wearing a tracker,” Zack said.

Zack was probably the one who needed a tracker the most, but if he wouldn’t wear it then it wouldn’t do any good.  “Or just some kind of emergency button,” Billy said.  “For if you get into trouble and your phone doesn’t work, or you’ve lost it.”

“Or broken it,” Kim added.

“Or broken it,” Billy echoed.  “You could carry it in your pocket if you don’t want to wear it.  But it’s easier to get separated from things you’re not wearing.”

“Like if you fall,” Trini said.  That made Zack glare at her, but she ignored him.  “I’m in,” she said.  “Make me a bracelet, or whatever.  I’ll wear it.”

“Me too,” Kim said.

“Yeah, me too,” Jason agreed.

Billy looked at Zack, who held up his hands.  “I’m not gonna be the only one not wearing the team friendship bracelet,” he said.  “Just don’t make it really obvious, okay?”

“Aw, are you ashamed to be seen with us?” Trini said.  

“I’m gonna have to explain it,” Zack told her.  “It’s easier if it looks pretty or something.”

“I’m fine with pretty,” Kim said.

Trini shook her head, pushing her empty ice cream bowl to one side.  “I’m baffled but resigned,” she said.  

“I’m already an ex-football player with a gay crush on my best friend,” Jason said.  “Make it as pretty as you want.”

Billy looked up.  Jason was looking at him, and he was smiling, so Billy smiled back.  He had a few ideas.


End file.
